Chemical fire-extinguisher.



PATENTED NOV. 3, 190

C. NUHRING.

CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 7, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

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Patented November 8, 1904:.

CHARLES NUHRING, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CHEMICAL FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,336, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed March '7, 1903. Serial No. 146,634. (No model.)

1'0 (0H w/umt it nuty concern:

Be itknown that LCHARLns N UHRING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, (whose post-office address is 912 VValput street, Cincinnati, Ohio,) have invented new and useful Improvements in Chemical Fire- Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire-cxtinguishers of the class employed for incipient fires, its object being to provide an efficient apparatus for this purpose adapted for use in. buildings to extinguish fires before gaining dangerous headway.

My improvements may be applied to all forms of fire-extinguishers in which a body of water in a containing tank or vessel is to be forced out by a gas generated in the tank at the time and place of use. Such apparatus consists usually of a closed tank containing, separately, water and acid and an alkaline salt in such relation as to be mingled only in the act of using, whereby at such times a gas, such as carbonic acid,is set free and partly absorbed by the water, while the excess furnishes the pressure to discharge the contents of the tank. In the use of such apparatus, however, the circumstances usually afford but little time for the gas to be absorbed by the water, and thus the efiiciency of the water as a fire-extinguisher is not materially enhanced by the carbonic acid. The object of my invention is to remedy this defect and generally to increase the efiiciency of this class of apparatus. This I accomplish by providing and combining with the general features of this type of apparatus means for more thorough impregnating the water with chemical constituents deleterious to combustion, whereby the net efiiciency for this purpose of a relatively small quantity of water is much increased.

The most convenient form of apparatus embodying my invention is one in which a separate tube is attached to' the tank and made part of the outlet, in which is placed a socalled cartridge filled with soluble chemical substances which being in the path of the discharging stream are dissolved and taken up thereby in solution and carried to the fire.

My invention is illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is an axial section of an ordinary type of portable fire-extinguishers, showing my improvements applied.

Referring now to the drawing, A designates a cylindrical tank used in the ordinary type of portable fire-extinguishers. It is provided with an opening at the top closed by a tightfitting screw-cap a, from which is suspended a glass bottle (1 containing a suitable acid so arranged (in the present illustration) as that upon inversion of the tank the acid will freely mingle with the liquid contents of the tank, but otherwise be kept separate therefrom. In this form of apparatus the outlet for the hose h is ordinarily at the top of the tank,which becomes the bottom upon inversion; but in my improved construction said outlet is at the bottom, which becomes the top by inversion. This outlet extends into a relatively small tubular casing B, arranged within the tank A and extending from the bottom of same to near the top. The tubular casing opens through the bottom of the tank Aand is fitted witha screw-plug P, accessible from below outwardly. At the top the tubular casing is preferably extended to an open mouth arranged near the central axis of the tank quite above the normal level of the contained liquid as a precaution against accidental entrance of the fluid contents of the tank thereto except when the tank is inverted for use. The tubular casing B is thus the outward path of egress for the fluid contents of the tank or breakage of the containing-bottle caused to mingle With the carbonated Water. the gas thus liberated rises through the Water and by its accumulating pressure forces out the liquid of the tank in a stream impelled by the force thus generated With more or less of the gas absorbed in the liquid. As the stream passes through the casing B around the inner perforated receptacle 6 it dissolves and takes up the chemicals therein, such as common salt or sal ammoniac, or both, which being acted upon by the heat of combustion liberates other gases in contact with the burning material that tend to quench combustion.

1 claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination With a tank containing liquid and an acid-holder supported therein, of a tubular casing extending substantially parallel vith the tank, a perforated casing Within the first-named casing and containing a soluble dry chemical, and a distributing-hose said first-named casing having an open-mouth portion extended to a point above the normal level of the liquid in the tank whereby When the tank is inverted the liquid enters said open mouth and floods the casing.

2. The combination With a tank containing liquid and an acid-holder supported therein, of a tubular casing positioned inside the tank and extending from one end thereof, and having an open-mouth portion extended to a point near the central axis of the tank, above the normal level of the liquid, aperforated casing in the other casing and containing a soluble dry chemical, a plug in the bottom of the tank and forming a removable closure for the lirstnamed casing, and a distributing-hose connected to said first-named casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

, CHARLES NUHRING. Witnesses:

Josnrn R. GARDNER, \V ALTER A. KNIGHT. 

